Truth
by dem bones
Summary: Non-epilogue compliant. Severus Snape is charged with the task of keeping watch over Harry Potter after he's accused of a crime he didn't commit. What happens when they fall in love along the way? It certainly won't be an easy road to tread. Contains HP/SS, SS/HP slash. 1/28/14 Edit: Altered first chapter.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Truth

Author: dem bones

Genres: Romance

Pairings: SS/HP, HP/SS

Summary: Non-epilogue compliant. Severus Snape is charged with the task of keeping watch over Harry Potter after he's accused of a crime he didn't commit. What happens when they fall in love along the way? It certainly won't be an easy road to tread.

Warnings: SLASH, may eventually contain lemons, Crossgen, Crossdressing, maybe het, maybe not.

Disclaimers: I don't own HP.

A/N: For Ultimate OTP Competition with the prompt: Romance, for the AU multi-chapter challenge, and for the Gender-Swap Boot Camp with the prompt: Wrong

Chapter 1: Life Debts

Many had known Severus Snape as an acclaimed hero, many had seen him as a helpful contributor to an otherwise hopeless war. Yet many hadn't know of the large life debt that he had owed one acclaimed Harry Potter.

Severus sat on a black chair in the middle of the living room at Spinner's End massaging his forehead with the palm of his hand. He had acquired a headache from the continual annoyances of hectic preparations for the upcoming school year and nosy collegues so he would have preferred to be left alone for the rest of the day but fate it seemed wasn't on his side.

The sound of a knock echoed through the walls as Snape collected his feet and stomped towards the front door.

Opening it he was faintly surprised to see Daedulus Diggle and Doris Crockford with Harry Potter in their possession.

"What's HE doing here?" Snape inquired irritably.

"Mr Potter has been arrested for the illegal use of Dark Magic."

"What are you talking about I didn't do anything." Harry spat.

Doris and Daedulus looked at each other with a frown.

"The Ministry has traced-."

"Is the Ministry even trying to search for the true culprit or are they looking out for their own ambitions?" asked Harry.

Daedulus flushed.

"That was uncalled for. Why-" Doris snapped.

"Don't bother you'll bore me to tears with questions."

Snape looked on to glance at the young man. Not much had changed about him in the span of two years. He had heard of course that Harry had since abandoned the wizarding world and had returned after taking much therapy to deal with the lashback of war. Other than that not much had been addressed regarding the boy.

He growled inwardly. 'Why am I even thinking about this?' He thought as he regarded the man irritably. The aurors seemed to be stalling.

"If he says he didn't do it, he didn't do it. Where do I fit in this equation?"

"You've always been highly regarded by the Minister and it so happens that he is aware of your connection with the boy." Doris said. "He is willing to keep the boy out of Azkaban as long as you keep an eye on him. He is to stay with you at all times or he'll be sent with a one way ticket to Azkaban.

"What?" Snape snapped. He would have thought that the boy could have stayed with the Weasleys, hadn't the boy been dating Ginevra Weasley?

"What about the Weasleys?"

"Kingsley is afraid that their relationship with the boy may cloud their judgement."

"If my relationship with the boy is so expendable whose to say I won't do the same."

"Then the boy will be sent to Azkaban then." Doris said as she grabbed ahold of Harry's upper arm and carried on.

"Not so fast." Snape snapped, grabbing hold of Harry's wrist. "I'll take the boy."

Doris turned and met Snape's glance before she finally released her hold on his upper arm.

The two had left without another word.

"Professor."

Snape looked down and saw that his hand was still attached to Harry's wrist. He pulled away as if he had been burned.

Harry looked around Snape's home. There looked to be bookshelves planted against the walls and the place was quite small only housing a fireplace, a sofa, and two couches that might as well have been one couch with how close they were.

"What happened Potter. The true story if you please. You've never been below stretching the truth for your own means."

Harry flushed.

"That's not true this time. I admit I may have done it in the past...it's just the traces of magic...they said it was coming from my home."

"You didn't perform any illegal magic at all?" Snape asked impatiently.

Harry looked at Snape as though he were stupid.

"It was a summoning seal, professor. What purpose would I have with a summoning seal?"

Usually with the art of summoning, one simply called for magic utilised solely from one's own life force, a kind of blood magic so to speak. As blood was unique to each and every living creature, the reminiscent of magic also was clearer that a distinguishable magic signature could easily be detected.

Blood magic was also used in necromancy, resurrecting the dead and creating inferi however summoning seals was a string of magic that was used to seal and used to contain magic or to protect someone or something under the spell. As far as Snape knew there would be no reason for Harry to use that spell.

It was a rather complicated spell compared to the fidelis charm which Dumbledore had used on the boy's home.

Still it was quite a mystery as to how the boy's magical signature was embelished in a summoning seal.

"Look I don't have time to deal with your games. I'm on the brink of aquiring an impeding headache and want nothing more than to sleep for the remainder of the day. You think you can stay out of trouble?"

Harry flushed.

"Don't treat me like a kid." He snapped though Snape appeared to have been ignoring him and stepped foot inside his room locking the door without a word.

Harry sighed and looked on to one of the couches with a hint of disgust before he transfigured it into a bed. It seems Snape wasn't below having Harry sleeping on the floor.

HPSS

The next morning, Snape towered over his bed, shaking him with his arms. Harry groaned as he attempted to bat at the claw like fingers.

"Why're you-I'm trying to sleep." He muttered groggily.

"Potter, you are under house arrest. You can't just sleep wherever you damn well please."

Harry rubbed his eyes. He had yet to forgive Snape for his living accomodations as it was quite uncomfortable sleeping in his clothes for once.

"Where are you going?"

"Unlike you, some people have work to do."

"It's September already?"

"Get up." Snape snapped irritably and yanked on Harry's arm causing the man to wince.

"Alright, alright. There's no need to be so bossy."

"You're going to make me late."

After Harry and Severus had changed into a fresh set of robes the two met up in front of the fireplace in the living room.

"We're going to floo there?" Harry asked.

"Is there a problem?" Snape sneered. Harry looked on at the slight upturned curve of his lips with ire. That man knew had somehow caught wind of his complete and utter loathing of both apparation and flooing.

'Two could play at that game.' Harry thought before stepping close to Snape absolutely certain that he was leaning extra close to the potion master.

"What are you doing?" Snape asked. There was a slight jump in his tone as if Harry had surprised him.

"We're going to floo back to Hogwarts aren't we?"

"Not together...you dimwit." Snape snapped pushing Harry off of him. It seemed Harry had made him quite angry.

In a matter of minutes both of them appeared in Snape's quarters.

Harry coughed up the floo powder that had risen in his throat and dusted off his robes which had attracted a lot of ash that had attached itself and he followed Snape out to the Great Hall.

Over the past year, Professor McGonagall had got into an accident that had placed her in a tragic coma and her position had been relinquished back to Snape who hadn't been looking forward to reaquiring that position.

Snape took his seat in the middle of the staff table between Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout. Flitwick was the first to have immediately caught on to the man in Snape's company.

"Mr Potter?"

Harry nodded.

Flitwick looked at Severus in question.

"I'm keeping an eye on him. He's in trouble with the Ministry." said Snape, pinching the bridge of his nose in irritation.

That explanation seemed enough for Professor Flitwick and Snape reclaimed his empty seat though the tiny man had sought it fit to transfigure another chair for Harry right next to the man and little to say Severus wasn't amused.

Harry looked on as he saw a new batch of students come piling in followed by Hermione Granger. He was surprised to see her looking quite at home in her new teaching position at Hogwarts.

One by one the students stepped on the stool to try on the Sorting Hat.

Harry looked at the food set upon the staff table and Snape could only cringe as the man took his share of food that varied from pancakes, toast and sausages.

During the sorting, Snape's eyes wandered to the man who was sitting beside him.

He seemed to pay dilligent attention in cutting the food with his fork and setting the less savory parts of the food in one corner before tilting his head to the left to take a bite.

After a few minutes the sausage was the only article of food left on his plate. He seemed to have a childish fascination with it, prodding it with his fork.

"Hey Professor, don't you think this sausage looks kind of like a penis." said Harry as he prodded at the meat with his fork.

Snape groaned in exasperation pinching the bridge of his nose in irritation.

'Calm yourself, Severus.' He thought slowly. 'Take a deep breath.'

He didn't dare look up at the rest of the staff table as he was almost 100 percent certain that everyone was staring at them.

"Ah, disgusting."

Snape turned to look at Harry's plate and saw that some liquid shot out of the sausage.

"Idiot."

Snape smacked him on the back of the head.

"What was that for?"

Snape scowled at him.

Harry sobered.

"Sorry professor."

"I can't take you anywhere without you acting like a fool."

"You're so cold." Harry pouted. "I'm freezing here."

"Enough." Snape snapped and got up from his seat grabbing the boy by the arm before pulling him out of the Great Hall.

HPSS

After making his way to the headmaster's quarters, he pulled Harry into the room.

"Stay here and don't even think about leaving this place." Snape snarled.

Harry smirked. That'd be easy enough he'd just-

"I've reinforced the wards to keep you in this office so don't even think of trying to find a loophole out of this one." He snarled.

"What am I supposed to do while you're gone?"

"What are you a child? Amuse yourself."

Snape left leaving Harry by himself. It was worth noting that Harry was unsurprised by the familiar appearance of the headmaster's office. Not many things had changed since Professor Dumbledore was headmaster.

Many of the portraits it seemed weren't here to entertain him however and he was quite bored. Struck with curiosity he took a seat on the headmaster's chair. He had always wondered what it would be like to be headmaster at Hogwarts.

Harry brought his hand to his face stroking his cheek with his thumb as he began contemplating what exactly the headmaster wanted him to do.

'Amuse myself?' Harry thought. 'What? Does he think I carry a pocket full of board games?'

He sighed fetching a set of cards from his pocket. It was a set of cards he had often kept in his pocket after Dudley had given them to him a day after the war had ended. After the war he'd like to think he was getting along better with his cousin though there was still some ire there.

Rummaging through the cards, Harry tossed out the two sets of jokers before he began shuffle the deck of cards. As he set out the cards for a game of solitaire he silently wished that everytime he had set hand on any type of electronic device that it wouldn't have gone haywire and really envied Dudley who was probably entertaining himself on his newly acquired gameboy advance.

By the end of his solitaire game it was with a big deal of boredom and frustration that Harry had a new desire to play 52 card pickup. 'I wonder what Snape's reaction would be with all those cards on the floor?' Harry thought with amusement. 'It would surve him right with all the torture he's put us through.'

With newfound courage Harry tossed the cards in the air and watched as they fluttered to the ground and set foot in picking them all up before tossing them again.

Snape had come in and stepped foot inside just as Harry was about to toss the cards again.

"Don't even think about it."

Harry turned towards Snape looking a little red in the face.

"I don't see what the problem is. I didn't dirty your floor."

"It's exactly that kind of attitude that gets you into trouble and endangers the lives of the people around you."

Harry turned red.

"I endanger people? Don't make me laugh. I get invited to Hogwarts to be taught about magic and then I'm practically told that I'm supposed to be this hero of the wizarding world and that I'm supposed to die and you have the nerve that I had no obligation in getting involved in that stupid war." Harry growled. "To what end did you serve? You're supposed to be a spy, supposed to get in Dumbledore's good graces yet you don't treat anyone outside your own house with an inch of respect. If Dumbledore was a better man he wouldn't have even let you teach here."

Snape turned red and grabbed Harry by the shirt in a fit of anger.

Harry glared at him defiantly.

"It's simply sick the way he bought your sad, sad love story. That feeling...the one you felt for my mother wasn't love...it was a sick obsession. You never cared about me, you only protected me because you couldn't bear it if she died like that without getting your revenge."

"I see you aren't below such tactics."

"It's a tactic you use yourself, don't you headmaster? You often abuse one's weaknesses don't you?"

"Don't use my own tactics against me." Snape growled shoving the man into the wall.

"What no comeback? I'm shocked." Harry taunted him and Snape shoved him even harder into the wall.

"If this was the cost of living, I would have been better off dead then to see your stupid face."

'What's the man trying to say?' Harry thought angrily. Snape was the one who had made his life miserable and the man regretted living? He hadn't even apologised for any of the crap he had put him through.

Harry grinned.

"Is that a death wish, because if it is I'm more than willing to kill you if it means never having to see you again."

Snape's eyes widened and his face paled as he could feel the uneasy energy radiating off the man. The man was angry much to Snape's amazement. He had thought that the man might have been trying to be funny but the magic was much too telling. It was too chaotic and disorganised to be anything but.

The surge of energy was sudden and Snape pulled away as though it burned. During this time, Harry all but ran out of his office.

"Potter, get back here." He snarled, ashamed that he had pulled away and had dropped his guard.

As Harry didn't seem to be stopping anytime soon, Snape huffed angrily and ran after him.

Harry however didn't turn back until he was outside the Room of Requirement and he paced readily until the door appeared. Stepped inside he hurriedly closed the door. Snape would never find him in here.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Sharan Yaz Stiller

Harry looked around the room. It was as he remembered it, flocked with all the materials he needed.

A bed stood in the middle of the room and there was a walkway that led to a bathroom with a large porcelain bathtub for a nice soak. Harry stepped into the bathroom and saw a change of clothes had sat on the toilet.

It would be perfect to change his clothes for once as he hadn't been able to change them since the aurors had him in their custody. He didn't want to make this a habit as the last thing he wanted was to acquire Snape's bad habit.

After taking a long soaking bath, Harry parted with the towel and collapsed on the bed nude. It was the most comfortable sleep that Harry had in a long time.

By the next morning, Harry was in such a blissful state of mind he hadn't even wanted to leave the comfort of the bed. If he were to leave, he was certain the worries of yesterday would appear and he certainly wasn't looking forward to meeting Snape wherever that man may be.

Harry groaned. He wondered if it was Friday. If it was maybe he could sneak into Hogsmeade and he wouldn't have to see Snape's face.

Harry got up and headed to the bathroom to change into his clean clothes. After brushing his hair and his teeth, Harry had been lucid enough to determine the date and counted his lucky stars that it happened to be a Saturday and that he wouldn't seem the least bit suspicious visiting Hogsmeade now that students were piled over there.

Steadily Harry headed towards Hogsmeade but it wasn't without an exercise of caution. The last person he wanted to see right now was the newly esteemed headmaster.

He all but sighed in relief as he stepped foot in Hogsmeade. He was about to head to The Three Broomsticks but not before he caught sight of a group of students that had gathered around in an alley between Bertie Bott's place and the Hog's Head.

Struck with curiosity, Harry approached them to see what the commotion was about.

There was a boy with shabby, disheveled robes being held against the wall.

"Ah, looks like little Sammy Turner is trying to escape."

Harry could feel the fear radiating from the boy in waves.

"What's wrong?" The boy asked.

"Can your father not afford to buy you a new set of robes?"

"They stink."

The boy tried to head out through the opening on his right side before one of the boys blocked the entrance.

"Where are you going, Samuel? Did the words hit a little too close to home?" One of the boy taunted as they pushed the boy back against the wall.

"What's the matter?" One of the boys taunted. "Why don't you fight back or are you afraid to get your hands dirty."

Gazing upon the boy he was reminded of Severus Snape when he himself had been a boy. Was this what it felt like to be bullied for the clothes that you wore?

With newfound courage he pushed the boys away and made his way to Samuel in the centre of that group of boys.

"Perhaps you've forgotten about the school rules, fighting is forbidden on campus or have you lost so much of your brains that the ooze drips out of your ears." Harry said.

The boys' eyes widened before they turned with tails between their legs and left Harry alone with the boy.

Harry chuckled to himself as he realised it was the first time he had very efficiently defended himself against such cruel onslaughts by simply using words. He knelt down in front of the boy.

"What your name?"

"Samuel."

"What were those boys doing?"

"Nothing, sir."

"It looked to me that they were bullying you."

Samuel flushed.

"That's not true sir, they were just-"

"Alright, if you say so." said Harry. "The next time it happens though I want you to tell a teacher."

"But sir."

"If all else fails you could talk to me if you need to."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Oh. Thanks, sir." He said before he scurried off to class. The boy seemed very flustered as he left and Harry continued his way to The Three Broomsticks not noticing the man that stood in the shadows.

Once Harry had finally arrived at The Three Broomsticks, he ordered a firewhiskey.

"Hey Sugar," A voice muttered with sugar-coated sweetness. "Last time I saw you, you went down to ol' Aberforth over at the Hog's Head. Quite a long time ago, wasn't it?"

"Hey Rosmerta long time no see."

"So what'll you be having today, Mr Potter?"

"I've have a firewhiskey."

Suddenly the air changed and someone took the seat on his right.

"I'll have whatever he's having." A soft masculine voice muttered from beside him. Harry was afraid to look as most men that had dropped by the pub were of a questionable sort.

"Alright." Rosmerta said. "Two firewhiskeys coming right up."

Harry turned to admire the way her arse in her maid getup.

"Is that a common thing?" The man beside him asked.

Harry turned and saw that the man in question was quite attractive with long black hair and icy blue eyes.

"I beg your pardon."

"That woman's clothes...is it a common thing to show off so much skin?"

Honestly Harry had no idea as outside his life with the Dursleys. He had been quite sheltered but the practise seemed normal.

"Yeah, I do believe it is quite common actually."

"Really?" said the man in a shrewd fashion. He seemed to be contemplating something while stroking his chin subconsciously.

In minutes, Rosmerta returned with the bottles of firewhiskey.

"Say has anyone told you that you have a nice arse?" Harry asked.

"If I didn't know any better I'd say that you were hitting on me, Mr Potter."

"No, I just felt it necessary to point it out."

"You sound more like you're looking for something to prove." She said.

Harry sighed.

"Is it that obvious? At least tell me how to clean the act up."

"Have you ever heard of a pick-up line? Your father was especially good at those, 'Your lips look so lonely... Would they like to meet mine?'" Rosmerta said, hamming up her impression of James Potter.

"Oh sappy flattery? I can do that. Are you a magician, because Abraca-DAMN! You got a sweet arse."

Rosmerta's face turned red.

"Oh you!" she said before giggling with glee.

Harry finished his firewhiskey when the man next to him uttered.

"Quite a joker ain't ya?" said the man who began chortling as if Harry's words were amusing to him.

"Hardly, I'd beg to differ."

"What's your name?"

"You don't know who I am?"

"Narcissistic, too by the looks of it."

Harry snorted.

"It's Harry. Harry James Potter and you are?"

"Sharan Stiller or Sharan Yaz Stiller if you'd like me to be more thorough." the man muttered in a mocking tone.

A tap on his shoulder nearly made him jump out of his skin. He turned around to see none other than Hermione Granger.

"You haven't contacted us in weeks. Ron was worried about you."

"Then I think it's safe to assume that I wasn't in a position to get ahold of you two in the first place." said Harry with a deadly voice that could cut through ice.

Hermione's eyes widened in surprise.

"What happened?"

"The Ministry happened. Apparently those nitwits had the sorry idea that I performed a summoning seal after tracing my magical signature at the source."

"What purpose would you have with a summoning seal?" she asked as though the thought were ridiculous.

"Exactly." huffed Harry.

"Well, I assume you were able to shimmy your way out of it?"

"Not really, they gave me over to Snape. Kingsley seems to hold him in high regard." Harry explained.

"If you're supposed to be staying with Snape where is he?"

"Probably sulking in his quarters. He isn't too happy with me right now?"

"When is he ever happy with you, Harry?"

"I may have said a couple of things..."

"If he's your only ticket out of Azkaban, you shouldn't take him for granted. If the Ministry finds out that you're in Hogsmeade unsupervised you could be sent to Azkaban and you can forget about Snape bailing you out."

"Yap away, is that all you do?" Sharan asked.

Hermione jumped, startled by her unnoticed company.

"And you are?"

"Sharan Stiller."

"Pleased to meet you." She addressed him curtly, shaking his hand in a firm handshake. "I'm afraid I must be going, it was good to see you again...Harry."

Harry's eyes continued to follow hers until she was out the door. The air in the pub was becoming quite stuffy and musty and Harry suddenly had a desire to step in the cold crisp air.

Once he stepped outside though it seemed everyone was running about in a panic and some of the buildings were up in flames.

"What's going on?" Harry asked.

"Hogsmeade is under attack. It's the death eaters." A man yelled from across the pub. A flurry of bright coloured spells flew from the left and right in a parade of beauty.

Sharan came up from behind Harry.

"What's going on?" He asked.

"Death eaters."

"Death eaters?" Sharan asked looking very puzzled.

"Old servants of Voldemort from the second Wizarding War...the Dark Lord."

"Dark Lord? Does he have a mastery in the dark arts or something?"

Harry looked at Sharan in disbelief. Was it really so weird that he didn't know about this acclaimed 'Dark Lord'?

Sharan saw the man run off on his own. Pity that Harry hadn't been paying much attention to where his hands had been. Sharan grinned as he pulled out the man's wand from his robes. It was Holly by the looks of it, 11 inches and...Sharan brought the wand in front of his eyes for closer inspection. Was that phoenix feather? He wondered who the phoenix had belonged to and how Olliviander had got his hands on a phoenix?

HPSS

The only thing going through Harry's mind as he was running through Hogsmeade was whether or not the students were safe.

As he searched throughout the town he saw something twitch coming from one of the alleys. Harry ran towards that direction to see if some students were hidden there in the alley.

A group of kids were in the alley, all pointing their wand in his direction. Harry caught sight of the boy who was in front of them. He seemed to be standing in front of them as if to protect the rest of them from the death eaters.

"Who are you?" The boy snapped defensively. "Don't try to lie to me either because it's clear you're using polyjuice potion."

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked taking a step closer but the reaction was instantaneous as the boy pointed his wand at Harry.

"Stay away. I won't let you hurt them."

Harry rummaged through his robes for his wand.

'Where is it?' He thought. It was with great horror that he discovered that his wand was missing. 'C-p!'

"I'm not the enemy."

"Prove it."

It was no good, he didn't have his wand and even if he did have it there would be no proving that he wasn't a death eater who had in fact taken his wand in battle.

"Expelliarmus." A voice said from behind them.

The students' wands left their hands and piled at Harry's feet. He turned and saw a death eater standing behind him. 'What immpeccable timing.' He thought dimly. Harry would have to wing it if he was to save the students. It was a pity he wasn't a master at wandless spells.

"Expulso."

A blue light exited the death eater's wand.

In a matter of seconds, Harry turned with his arms outstretched concentrating on the shielding spell.

"Protego."

A shield formed from Harry's hands outstretched before the students absorbing the impact of the spell though the force of the blast expelled Harry and the students several inches like a wind at 100 mph.

The death eater stiffened at being so easily thwarted and looked as though he were going to retaliate once more when he suddenly collapsed to the ground.

Harry saw that Sharan had been standing behind him with a familiar looking wand in his hand.

"YOU?"

"That's quite a wand you have, it seems my magic is quite in tune with your wand. Never would have expected it though it doesn't come off as quite a surprise."

Harry lunged forward and swiped the wand from his hands.

"Quite the thief aren't you?" He snapped.

"The feel of soft male buttocks is quite riveting."

It suddenly dawned on Harry what the man would have had to do to get his hands on it and suddenly his face felt quite hot.

"You overly presumptuous-"

"I wouldn't continue that thought if I were you. If I remember properly weren't you in the middle of getting those students back to Hogwarts."

Harry turned and looked at the fright in the students' faces.

"Are you really Harry Potter?" The boy who had been protecting the students asked.

Harry nodded.

"We've got to get out of here. If you follow me I could lead you over to the castle."

The boy along with the rest of the students followed behind him as he lead them over to the castle. On the way out of town, he ran into Hermione.

"There you are."

"I saw the death eaters." She said.

"Who rescued me from that deep pond while we were staying in that tent when we were camping in the Forest of Dean?"

"Ron."

"How did we save Sirius from the dementor's kiss in our third year at Hogwarts?"

"Time Turner."

Hermione grinned.

"Can you take these students back to the castle?" Harry asked.

"What about you? It can't be a coincidence that they're death eaters in Hogsmeade. What if they're after you?"

"Hermione I have to be certain that everyone is safe. You know how I'd feel if someone had to die for my sake."

"Alright but be careful, Harry."

"I will." Harry said as he turned on his heel and headed back into town.

As he was heading back, however he caught sight of something from the corner of his eye. Wait was that Severus Snape?

One of the death eaters seemed to be holding him in a choke hold. The two seemed to be having a standoff and among them Harry saw the boy from earlier.

That was Samuel, the same boy who had been teased earlier.

"Kreacher."

A house elf immediately appeared in front of him.

"What is it, Master Harry?"

"I need you to fetch me my invisibility cloak."

"As you wish." He said before he vanished appearing minutes later with his cloak in hand. Harry instantly took it from Kreacher's grasp and donned it over him creeping closer to listen to what was going on.

"Anything else you need?"

"Not at the moment, Kreacher." Harry whispered and Kreacher vanished out of sight.

As Harry crept closer, he listen intently to the exchange of words taking place.

"Never thought we'd catch you here, Severus. The Dark Lord's renowned traitor in our midst."

"What is the purpose here? With your negligence to think, do you realise what a spectacle you are making?"

"I am only here for one purpose and that is to watch in glee while you suffer."

Samuel who could only look on with horror wailed in tears.

"Crucio."

Snape crumpled in pain. Harry wondered how many times, the death eater had cast the Cruciatus Curse on him.

"What's the matter, Severus? Is the pain too much for you to handle?"

Snape turned in his direction faint enough that it was unnoticed. His black eyes locked with Harry's. Harry could see the fire in his eyes, the open defiance in his stance.

"Pity I wouldn't have been able to lure you out otherwise but it seems you have a little soft spot for your students."

Harry's eyes widened in horror. Suddenly he began feeling very foolish, he had thought that Snape had happened to get caught by while escaping town. He had thought that the man would have cared more about his own survival over those of his students. His life would be endanger if he had been trying to protect that student so Harry had thought that he would have simply left town in result of his Slytherin self-preservation.

Yet what the death eater said made a slight bit of sense. Throughout his years of Hogwarts, Snape had always given Harry the impression that he was not only more powerful, but more skilled in magic. He even handled himself well in front of three Hogwarts professors all who not only had years built up in practising their magic, but years learning from Professor Dumbledore who certainly was more skilled at magic than Snape was. It seemed a little weird that the man was caught so easily by a single death eater no less.

Harry crept closer, the defiance in Snape's eyes were clear. He crept behind the death eater and carefully lifted his invisibility cloak enough to point his wand at the death eater's back.

"Stupefy."

The death eater crumpled to the ground.

"You always have to make a big scene don't you, Potter?" Snape said angrily.

Harry walked up to Samuel and knelt in front of him so he was at eye level.

"Are you alright?" He asked the boy.

"I'm fine. Professor Snape saved me."

"I know."

Behind them, neither Harry nor Samuel noticed the grin on the man's face during their interaction.

"Would you like me to take you back to the castle?" Harry asked.

Samuel nodded.

Just then Harry heard a wince, a loud kick and a loud groan coming from behind them. Turning around he saw a man on the ground unconscious.

Harry looked up at Professor Snape who had fury in his eyes. He wondered what he had done to make the other man fall unconscious.

Snape brought his arms up from behind his back and pulled out a dagger covered in blood.

Harry noticed that he winced as he pulled out the bloody thing. It was rather fascinating looking at the man's blood again like he had the first time the two had got into a situation like this.

Snape collapsed to the ground.

"Professor, professor are you alright?" Harry asked as he knelt beside Snape's fallen body.

"Samuel, get help. The castle is that way." He said to the boy pointing in the direction out of town.

Panic in his eyes, Samuel immediately ran in that direction letting nothing hinder him.

Professor Flitwick returned sometime later with Madam Pomfrey.

Flitwick conjured a stretcher before setting Snape's unconscious body in it and Madam Pomfrey flicked her wand so that the stretcher followed behind her.

Eventually the four had made it to the hospital wing and Snape who was unconscious was set in one of the hospital beds in the hospital wing.

Her wand flicked over his body as if to determine what was wrong with him.

"It seems along with the stab wound in the back, he also has a large deal of trigger serum in his blood." said Madam Pomfrey as she cast a quick healing spell on his back.

"Trigger serum?"

"It's a poison that heightens the effect of neutralised toxins in the body. Unfortunately there's no permanent way of neutralising it from the body."

"What will happen if you don't neutralise it?"

"The poisons in his body will be activated and promptly kill him. Hold him still."

Harry held Snape's body firmly as Madam Pomfrey opened a vial of pink potion and poured it down the man's throat.

He looked down and saw the wound on his neck was also bleeding out from the scar.

"He's bleeding at the neck, where Nagini bit him before." said Harry.

"Oh h-l." She said as she quickly ran into the potions cupboard and brought back a container of salve. Pomfrey proceeded in unbuttoning and removing the robes lined at his collar to get a better glimpse.

The wound it seemed was only slightly bleeding however it seemed the shock had triggered a painful spasm in Snape's body as his body shook as though he were having a seizure.

"HOLD HIM DOWN." Pomfrey cried out loudly as she wrapped her arms around him.

Harry helped by laying promptly on his lower body.

"Why is he shaking like this?" Harry asked.

"I don't have a clue."

"Is he in pain?"

She was silent and Harry figured his words might have struck a cord and she had come to a revelation. Pomfrey unscrewed the lid off of the container of salve and collected some of the salve on her fingers before rubbing at the slightly bloody wound.

In minutes, Snape's body seemed to calm down.

"Filius, can you hand me a blood replenishing potion?" The medi-witch asked.

Professor Flitwick got up and fetched the potion for her which she then proceeded to pour down his throat. The two finally pulled away from his body once she saw that he was doing well.

"I'm afraid with the situation at Hogsmeade eventually the Ministry will catch wind of what's going on and Snape's injuries will eventually come to light. They'll send you to Azkaban and they'll be nothing we can do about it, Mr Potter." Flitwick said after the situation had slightly calmed down.

"It's alright. I'm sure I'll survive a couple of years in Azkaban." Harry said grimly.

Just then the man from Hogsmeade came in from behind them.

"Who are you?" Flitwick asked in curiosity.

"I believe that man beside you knows who I am."

"Sharan Stiller, am I right?" Harry said angrily.

"What's got your knickers in a twist?"

"You're the one who stole my wand. What good is a wizard if I don't have my wand at all times? Students could have died and you would have basked in the fact that you've stolen wand."

"I would have returned it."

"You lie." Harry spat.

Flitwick's eyes gleamed as he looked between the two men.

"You two look as though you are already quite acquainted with each other."

"Hardly the man is a complete stranger." Harry said.

"I'd beg to differ. You'd say that after I practically groped your arse."

Harry turned red.

"How do we know he isn't working for the death eaters?"

"What purpose would I have spying on a school with no forms of organization and no aligned defence in case those so called 'death eaters' breach their defences? If I had wanted to kill you, I assure you it wouldn't take much effort at all. I've stolen your wand quite easily might I add, Harry Potter." Sharan said.

Harry looked skeptical but Flitwick it seemed was thinking the man's words through thoughtfully.

"That sarcasm and with that snark...Yes, we might be able to pull it off." Flitwick said.

"Pull what off?"

"A little switcheroo. Only it seems that Sharan doesn't have any teaching experience."

"Actually I do. I've been a professor for quite some time in fact I'm a teacher at H-Hoggarth School of the Dark Arts."

"Then Severus could be polyjuiced as Sharan and Sharan could be polyjuiced as Severus." Flitwick said with a gleam in his eyes.

"This is a bad idea. There is a clear distinction between Sharan and Professor Snape. For one, Sharan is more perverted and he's too easy going. He could be a pedophile for all you know."

Flitwick looked at Sharan in interest.

He sighed.

"I assure you that my interests will only be limited to Mr Potter and no one else."

Harry turned red.

Flitwick patted him on the shoulder. He had a smile on his face. "Good."

The small man called for the medi-witch.

"What is it, Filius?"

"I need you to brew two vials of polyjuice potion as the potion master isn't in a fitting condition to be brewing the stuff."

She nodded and headed out to go get the potion ingredient, Filius could only hope this would work.


End file.
